North Texas

DPS Unveils Plan to Cut Wait Times at Driver's License Offices

The Texas Department of Public safety wants to cut down lines at driver's license offices. Starting Thursday, more personnel will be added to the most crowded offices.

After many complaints about hours-long wait times, more than a dozen DPS offices in North Texas will be getting additional help.

The DPS said even Texas State Troopers will be assigned to high-volume offices to help identify customers who can immediately get out of line and do their businesses online, by phone or by mail --  since the majority of customers standing in line don't have to visit the office causing wait times for people who do.

"By prioritizing in-office service to those customers who are required to be there, both the in-office customers and the alternative-transaction customers are served more efficiently," the DPS said in a news release.

The DPS said since July 9, the "limited-transaction initiative" at seven high-demand offices produced an 44 percent decrease in in-office transactions.

To find out if you can skip the trip to the office, you can call 1-866-DL-RENEW (1-886-357-3639) or visit DPS.Texas.gov.

Eligible customers who do not wish to renew by phone or online will be offered a paper form that would allow them to mail in their transaction request.

The Texas DPS said the efforts may be expanded to other offices as needed.

List of highest-volume DL offices:
(** Denotes current limited-transaction DL offices)

  • Garland Mega Center
  • Canton
  • Dallas South
  • Grand Prairie**
  • Terrell
  • Rockwall**
  • Plano**
  • Garland
  • McKinney
  • Lewisville
  • Carrollton
  • Sherman
  • Gainesville
  • Corsicana
  • Weatherford
  • Tolar
  • Stephenville
  • Fort Worth South
  • Denton**
  • Hurst
  • Houston South East
  • Dacoma**
  • Brenham
  • Hempstead
  • Rosenberg
  • Humble
  • Cleveland
  • Conroe**
  • Huntsville
  • Beaumont
  • Texas City
  • Spring Mega Center
  • Houston North
  • McAllen
  • El Paso Scott Simpson
  • Midland
  • San Antonio General McMullen
  • San Antonio South East
  • Pat Booker (Universal City)
  • San Marcos
  • Boerne
  • Waco
  • Killeen
  • Temple**
  • Fort Hood
  • Austin S
  • Austin N
  • Austin NW

Additional DPS tips to increase convenience:

  • High-capacity DL Mega Centers are available in major metropolitan areas to better serve customers.
  • Many DL offices utilize a queuing system to provide customers with the convenient option of reserving a spot in line through the DPS website before going to the office. For a list of the high-capacity Mega Centers, as well as the specific DL offices that offer the "Get in Line, Online" feature, visit the DPS website.
  • In many offices, you can schedule a drive test online three months in advance. Customers are urged to plan ahead and not delay scheduling a drive appointment.
  • Another underutilized option available to customers is to renew their DL or ID card early. You can renew up to two years in advance, and renewing early does not impact the expiration date. If an office visit is required, renewing early allows customers to choose a convenient time that best fits their schedule and avoids the busiest times at the DL office.
  • Mondays and Fridays tend to be the busiest days, as well as after holidays. Overall, summer is the busiest time of the year. Try to plan your visit around these high-volume times, if possible.
  • Before you go to the office, make sure you have all the proper documentation, including documents needed for residency requirements.
DPS will be hiring 100 positions over the course of the next few months, but workers won't be behind the desks right away because of the extensive background checks required.
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